Perching room only

Captured on Wyze
1

Received my 5000 live mealworms yesterday but they were all dead. Usually this is because they were exposed to temperatures above 80F.

Bought them from an Amazon seller I have used before. Put a cup full of dead black mealworms in the feeder. The bluebirds are not picking those. When the 5 bluebirds that are STILL in the birdhouse fledge, the birdhouse is being swapped with the one with the v3 focus ring. The feeder will come down and the v3 that is sandwiched between the gazebo leg and the feeder will be firmly attached to the feeder.

6 Likes
2

Cute little guys, funny how they wait at the door for their turn

1 Like
3

So, what’s the order of preference?

  1. Live
  2. Freeze-dried

Dead: nuh-uh. Wonder why… :thinking:

4

Live wiggling is what they prefer. The chicks get more protein and they are easier to digest.

1 Like
5

Ah, but in the vid are they bypassing the dead for the freeze-dried (also dead :wink: ) not visible in the foreground?

1 Like
6

There are over 50 videos just from today. In and out every 2-3 minutes starting right at sunrise. The few videos I watched the bluebird exits with a freeze dried mealworm not a black one. They tend to pick around the dead ones. Saw one bluebird with a black one in its beak but it wasn’t eaten.

2 Likes
7

Three birds are still in the house. This is a 10 second clip from a WOC of one of the chicks fledging.

Wish there was more but I don’t have Cam Plus on anything other than the doorbell.

2 Likes
8

2 left.

I like how a beak appears at the entrance after the chick fledges.

My WiFi out that far is spotty so that is why this is only the end

2 Likes
9

The last chick fledged. I literally have empty nest something but not syndrome.

I noticed it is very difficult for the chick to back up into the birdhouse because their feathers don’t bend that way.

Another video is coming showing a chick successfully backing up and then fledging.

2 Likes
10

2 Likes
11

image
image1920×1440 142 KB

2 Likes
12

I want to wait another day before the houses are swapped.

Was able to attach a v3 to the side of the feeder rather than wedge it between the gazebo leg and the feeder. Had bluebirds watching me while their feeder was not where it usually is.

Need to tweak the focus ring just a tad more.

2 Likes
13

This is what I was hoping for! One of the chicks that fledged yesterday came back to the nest. Notice the brown feathers. They will turn blue in a week or so. The belly will remain brown.

This is an invasive barn swallow.

3 Likes
14

Swapped birdhouses. This one has a v3 with a focus ring so hopefully the images will be sharper.

image
image1920×1440 127 KB

The two horizontal grooves are to give the chicks something to grab onto when they fledge.

2 Likes
15

You need to start a YouTube channel for all these!

Love this pic lol:
image

3 Likes
16

This one is great also

image
image1920×1440 246 KB

Chick had second thoughts about fledging and backed up

4 Likes
17

Hmm. That might not have been one of the chicks. Found out they rarely return to the nest box they fledged from.

So what species bird is this that is checking out the new house?


image
image2035×1163 255 KB

image
image2035×1135 415 KB

image
image2048×1139 411 KB

Notice the nesting material. Bluebirds prefer pine needles. I doubt a new chick would make a neat this soon.

The Merlin bird ID app didn’t know what kind of bird it was either.

Need to tweak the focus ring a tad but that means breaking the silicone seal.

4 Likes
18

That is probably a barn swallow.

A bluebird was checking out the box and found the nesting material the barn swallow left.

3 Likes
19

Male House Sparrow, considered by some to be an invasive species.

1 Like
20

Thanks for confirming that.

A nest is being made in the new bluebird house. Can’t tweak the focus ring now.

image

3 Likes